Bells Will Be Ringing
by youarebeingridiculous
Summary: Three years after tragedy leaves him reeling, Peeta returns home for the first time, just in time for Christmas…to see if there's still a future with the past. Written for Prompts in Panem: Holidays in Panem 2014. Modern AU


_Bells will be ringing the sad, sad news  
>Oh what a Christmas to have the blues<em>

_Please come home for Christmas  
>Please come home for Christmas<br>If not for Christmas by New Year's night_

The Eagles crooned about a blue Christmas while Peeta's old jeep wrangler chugged along the familiar winding roads of Panem, Ohio. The engine gave a groan as he turned onto Pearl Street and into the parking lot next to the historic red brick building. The faded black paint in a familiar script that pronounced **_Mellark's Bakery_** looked even more worn than the last time he had walked rustic cobblestone pathway up to the building. Shoving his hands deep into the frayed pockets of his old jeans, he came to the front of the shop and eyed it carefully. A large Christmas tree in the corner of the window gave off the warmth of the building, but no matter how similar everything looked, he knew it could never feel the same. The cakes weren't decorated with quite the same precision, though he doubted anyone but himself would notice...and well maybe one other person.

He sighed and wrapped his hand around the familiar gold door knob with the embossed _M_ and twisted it, the sound of tinkling bells echoing in the currently vacant store. He took a deep breath looking around the building, the smell of fresh bread and pastries wafted through cozy store and into his nostrils. He blinked quickly feeling the pin pricks at his eyes. He took another breath trying to calm himself down. His eyes scanned the bakery and landed on the source of his pain. A family portrait. Shuttering, he turned on his heel and treaded back to the glass bakery door.

"Three years and you're not even going to say hello before you run out?" a teasing lilt came from behind him.

Peeta froze in his tracks and closed his eyes. Their voices were so similar, it was like a punch to the gut, "Parker?" He croaked turning around to see his eldest brother.

They had the same golden blonde hair, but where Peeta's eyes were a bright blue, Parker had the same kind green eyes that his father has…had.

The green eyed man's mouth quirked up in a smile, "Hey Peet."

"PARKER THERE'S NO WAY I CAN FINISH THOSE CAKES FOR THE CARTWRIGHTS AND THE HAWTHO –" A third blonde head came through the back of the bakery, "PEETA," He exclaimed coming around the counter swiftly and embracing Peeta with a hug and a firm slap on the back, "Christ man – ever heard of a phone?"

"Hey Rye," Peeta replied, the tips of his ears turning red.

"Damn it's good to see you back little brother."

"I – uh, it felt like time," Peeta responded.

"Damn right it's time. We need you – three years without you here to ice these damn Christmas cookies, apparently mine aren't good enough for the good people of Panem," Rye retorted throwing him the frosting bag.

Parker shook his head and squeezed Peeta's shoulder, "We're sorry we missed graduation Peet – with the Holidays…"

"It's okay, I understand."

"But we're so happy you decided to come home man, we missed you….we _all _missed you."

It only took being back in town less than 48 hours for him to see her. It had been three years and she had just as much an effect on him as she always had. Her raven hair was woven together in a complex braid as if time had stood still for the past three years. His eyes followed her as she entered Greasy Sae's diner. It took all his self-control not to run across the street and follow her in. To try and explain, to make things…right. The second time he saw her was through the small porthole window in the swinging wooden doors that separated the bakery storefront from the kitchen. Her voice was muted, but he could imagine her asking for cheese bun, tearing apart the savory roll while her fingers became sticky with the melted cheese and that small happy groan that exits her mouth. Just that small noise sends him back to a time and place…a happier time and place where he was responsible for such noises. When he would pick her up and perch her on the countertop when the store was empty, except one of his brothers baking in the back, and step in between her legs and kiss her with such a fervor that he felt would never die. He closed his eyes and thought back to when she had finally allowed him to be everything to her that he had wanted since he was five years old.

_"Peeta what if Parker comes out from the back?"_

_He gave her a winning smile, "So?"_

_"Peeta Mellark," she slapped his wandering hand._

_"Katniss Everdeen," he mocked her sweetly._

_"Everyone thinks you're so sweet but you're really just rotten, aren't you, Golden Boy?"_

_His hand trailed up the back of her head digging into her long dark locks as he pressed a fevered kiss to her mouth, prodding along the seam of her lips until she finally succumbed to his whim, a whimper echoing from the back of her throat. He chuckled softly and pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against her own, "And everyone thinks you're sullen and standoffish – so I guess we're fooling everyone, aren't we sweetheart?"_

_Katniss snorted at his attempts to be smarmy and shoved his strong sculpted shoulder, "Go make me some cheese buns, bread boy."_

"You know you can't hide from Katniss forever, Peet," Rye ribbed, breaking him out of his reverie.

"I'm not hiding," he mumbled looking down at that unfrosted cake, "I'm just trying keep you both from destroying all of dad's hard work.

"Well, while you were off in la la land, Delly called."

"What?"

"She came in for a cake for her Mom's birthday the other day, I told her you were back, she and Finnick and Annie want you to come out of your hole and go out with them. So go." He said pushing him away from the cake, "Call her. You're smelling up the joint."

"C'mon Peeta, you haven't seen people in forever," Delly said as she dragged him into Abernathy's, the hole in the wall neighborhood bar. "Finnick and Annie are waiting for us!"

"Okay okay Del, I'm coming, you don't have to pull my arm out of my socket."

"Well pardon me, Peeta Mellark, you disappear for years and barely call – we're excited to see you."

"All right!" he acquiesced, a small smile playing on his lips.

Peeta walked into Abernathy's and saw how crowded the cozy bar was, "PEET!" A shout from across the bar came. Peeta crossed the small bar with Delly trailing behind to the bronzed hair Adonis of a man who hurriedly wrapped the blonde in a bear hug, "Shit man, it's been too long, we fucking missed you around here buddy!"

Peeta wrapped the man on the back with three successive back slaps, "It's good to see you too Finn." Peeta leaned down across booth and kissed the red head next to him on the cheek, "You too Annie."

"You look good Peeta," she smiled quietly.

"Someone's been eating their Wheaties," Finnick winked, commenting on Peeta's more toned physique.

Peeta rolled his eyes, "How about you not flirt with me when you girlfriend is sitting right there," Peeta teased.

"Fiancée," Finnick quipped playfully, lifting Annie's hand up."

"Wow – my condolences, Annie", he teased, receiving a swift punch to the shoulder as Annie's soft laughter rang out. Peeta cracked a small smile, "But seriously, congratulations to both of you," Peeta replied sincerely, feeling a jolt in his heart, realizing just how much he had missed since he left.

"Thanks Peeta," Annie smiled demurely.

"Are you sure he didn't hypnotize you though Annie?"

Delly cracked a smile as she saw glimpses of her old friend come back into focus.

"So Peet, let me buy you a shot or a beer, because it's Christmas karaoke night, and you're going to need it," Finnick laughed.

Peeta cocked his eyebrow as he looked at Delly, "Really Del?"

"Well…" she blushed, "You needed to get out! And what better way to celebrate your homecoming than watching our little town embarrass itself."

"Fair point," he said signaling to the waitress for a Blue Moon.

The foursome watched as Cato Summers belted out an awful rendition of jingle bell rock full on with dance moves and then Marvel Hollander butchered the Muppet Christmas Carol song. Peeta was into his third Blue Moon when a familiar voice came over the microphone. A voice that echoed in his mind over and over on repeat some nights. "_I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need"_

His breath caught in his throat as his eyes focused in on her. Seeing her from afar didn't do her justice. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. That voice she rarely shared with anyone but him echoed throughout the room "_I just want you for my own…more than you could ever know, make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is youuuuu," _she sang, her finger circling across the entire room, her facial expression shocked when she landed on him.

It was if time stood still as she stared at him. The karaoke spotlight caught and reflected on the small diamond placed on her left ring finger and Peeta's beer mug clattered onto the table. It was like a swift kick to the stomach. He knew it was his fault. He's the one who ran. But seeing her….his Katniss with another man's ring on her finger, he felt jittery and bolted out of the booth and out the door.

"Peeta!" Delly's high pitched voice yelled after him as he walked down the alleyway "Peeta wait!"

He squeezed his fists together, "What Delly?" He growled.

She recoiled slightly but then pushed forward, "What the hell happened with you two?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this entire town was practically planning your wedding and then you just up and disappeared and pretty much spoke to no one after your dad – " she stopped abruptly, seeing the painful expression cross his face.

Peeta's head shot up his breath hitching as he went spiraling back to that day.

**_Christmas 2011_**

_His hands wrapped around her body as she snuggled into his chest, effectively curling up in his lap. "This is a stupid movie, Peeta," she mumbled._

_"You know," he teased, "You can just admit you're scared, Kat."_

_"Am – " she jumped burrowing her head into his shoulder, "not," she finished weakly._

_"It's okay baby, I love you – always, even if you are a scaredy cat," he winked. She shoved his shoulder and he chuckled, "Okay, so I'm just waiting for you to give into Christmas movies."_

_"So let me get this straight – it's either serial killers or mushy Christmas movies?"_

_"Trying to set the mood here baby."_

_"You're setting the mood for possibly being mentally deranged and an interesting interrogation by the cops and an appearance on Dateline if I go missing"_

_He nuzzled into her neck, his lips finding that sensitive patch of skin right below her earlobe earning a low moan, "Peeta,"_

_"Mmm – my favorite sound," he grinned before nipping slightly at her earlobe._

_"Peeta – Prim is upstairs," she groaned._

_"She's not going to come down here, she practically helped push us together," he chuckled pushing her hair off her neck, her gray eyes glittering from the reflection of the Christmas lights strewn around the tree._

_"Peeta my __**mother **__is a few rooms over," she chuckled._

_"My hands are in plain sight," he said placing his hands in the air as he leaned in again and kissed her._

_"You're an idiot," she laughed melodically._

_"I'm your idiot. And as your idiot, please feel free to kiss me as much as you would like anytime that you would like."_

_"So really you're more like my trained monkey? My own personal court jester?"_

_He curled a piece of her wavy raven hair around his index finger, "Just consider me yours to command, sweetheart," he teased._

_"Such a sweet talker," Katniss laughed rolling her eyes._

_"That's not all that's sweet," he grinned gathering her closer in his arms and kissed her, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth. She groaned in response as he pulled back, "Someone once told me I tasted like cinnamon," he winked._

_"Someone obviously pumped up your ego far too much."_

_"Hmmm, maybe," he teased, "But she usually plays it so close to the vest, so I think it's quite a statement she's making. I mean, this girl can barely keep her hands off of me…" he trailed off._

_"Okay, you're cut off," she chortled crawling off his lap._

_"I think you're making a mistake, there's a particularly scary part coming up here, you're going to miss these…what did you call them? Arms of steel?"_

_"I'm never drinking alcohol with you around again," she grumbled._

_Peeta slung his arm over her shoulder and pulled her back towards him, "Aw baby, it's okay. You love your man, no shame."_

_"I think I'm going to vomit," she snorted._

_Frenetic footsteps echoed down the hallway into the den causing the two of them to jump apart, "Ms. Everdeen," Peeta announced charmingly._

_"Peeta…," her voice trembled._

_"Mom?" Katniss questioned quietly, alarmed by her mother's affectation. _

_"Peeta, your father…your brother just called."_

_Peeta sat up straighter as Katniss gripped his hand tightly, "What – what happened is he okay?"_

_"Oh sweetheart, he had a heart attack – he didn't make it."_

_Peeta stared blankly into space, he barely felt Katniss arms surrounding him as she whispered into his ear what she hoped were comforting words._

_For the next week he walked through life like a zombie, the death of his father leaving a cavernous hole in his heart. After the funeral he crawled into his bed and barely heard the door creak open. Katniss quietly approached the bed and crawled in behind him, her small lithe figure wrapped tightly around him. His body shook with silent sobs. The man he idolized, the man who had been his guidepost, who had raised him and his brothers alone since their mother passed away when he was just a baby – was gone. He turned around in her arms and rested his head on her chest. His tears poured out as she gently stroked his hair. "We'll get through this together," she whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of his head and softly began to sing, "Deep in the meadow, under the willow. A bed of grass, a soft green pillow.  
>Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes. And when you awake, the sun will rise. Here it's safe, here it's warm. Here the daisies guard you from harm. Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you."<em>

"Except we didn't get through it together," he sighed solemnly. "I couldn't be here after he died. I had to leave. I had stayed in Panem after being offered a full ride at Penn because I couldn't imagine my life without Katniss. But after he died, I couldn't imagine being here without him. It was too dark, Del. So my scholarship to Penn was still available…and I left."

"Oh Peeta," she replied gravely. "Did you…did you tell her?"

Peeta reached up to rub his temples, "I wrote her a letter but…I was too scared. I couldn't – I couldn't face her. And she never….she never told me to stay, she didn't need me anymore. I was too broken."

"Peeta…"

"I know Del, I know."

For the next two days, Peeta attempted to forget the encounter – or semi-encounter with Katniss. His face flushed with embarrassment as he thought of her there, singing for _him. For Gale. _"Fucking Karaoke," he muttered. "It's your own damn fault anyways," he mumbled to himself as he carefully placed the finely decorated Christmas cookies into the display window. It was the morning lull between the breakfast and lunch rush on Christmas Eve and an unexpected tinkling of the bells went off. His eyes slowly looked up to the front of the bakery.

"Oh…Peeta," she stuttered. Seeing him behind that counter, his forearms lightly dusted with flour, the white apron drawn tautly across his sturdy build. Was it really that long ago that all she would need to do was jump on the counter and catch his pouty lips with her own? She could feel the electricity build at the mere proximity of his body. It was strumming like the beat of a drum begging to be heard. "I –um.. – I'm here to pick up the cinnamon rolls we ordered for Christmas."

Peeta cleared his throat and nodded succinctly. His jaw clenched as he bent down behind the counter to grab the order. Placing the box of gooey rolls on the counter top he flexed his fingers nervously, the light reflecting off the snow poured through the window and caught the diamond on her finger, it felt like a stab in his heart, "I guess congratulations are in order," his usually calm and pleasant voice had the hint of an edge to it.

She couldn't help put stare at the way his long blonde lashes framed his intense blue eyes. "I – "

"That'll be $9.75," he interrupted quickly.

"Well this is familiar, you're shutting me out again," she grumbled under her breath, shoving a ten dollar bill at him.

"I'm sorry?" Peeta questioned tightly, placing a quarter on the countertop.

Her eyes lifted up and he could see her fiery gaze, "He just slipped it on! I didn't know what to say!" She yelled gesturing to the offending ring on her finger. "I'm not good at saying something!"

His eyes turned an icy blue and the register of his voice went impossibly lower, "No – you never were. You wouldn't tell me to stay."

Katniss slammed her hand on the counter, "I didn't think I fucking had to ask Peeta! When you said you loved me you said _ALWAYS. _You said you always would. I couldn't ask you to stay in a place that was causing you so much pain. A PLACE Peeta. Not me. I didn't think when you left it meant leaving _me. _You're the one that left Peeta. You're the one that broke us. I _loved _you. You spent years, years convincing me to give love a chance and then you dropped it. You said _always_ and you lied," she said dangerously quiet before turning on her heel and walking out the door.

Peeta physically recoiled from her words and stomped into the kitchen, violently pushing open the door to the kitchen. Slamming a piece of dough onto the counter and taking out his aggression on it barely registering Rye's confused look and quiet question of, "What the hell was that?"

Peeta roughly kneaded the bread at his fingertips and sighed, "Years of mistakes blowing up in my face."

Rye sat down the frosting bag that he was currently using and walked over to his brother. His back was full of tension as he angrily pounded the bread, "Peet, I think you should go home."

"Fine give me your keys," Peeta replied soberly as he turned around.

"No, not my apartment, home home. I don't know who this angry lost guy is in front of me. You need to go back to Dad's. You need to figure this out."

Peeta's mouth opened wordlessly before his voice cracked out a pitiful, "I can't."

"Peet, you need to."

"Rye I – "

Rye shook his head and pulled his brother in for an all-encompassing bear hug, "Listen Peeta, this isn't you. You need to deal with dad's death. You've let it fester way too long. You aren't an angry sullen guy. And you aren't the guy that yells at Katniss. Go home. Pull your head out of your ass and figure out what you want. Figure out what we both already know."

Peeta shuttered and nodded, allowing his brother's words to penetrate his thick skin, "Okay," he replied solemnly.

It had been three years since he'd been in his father's house…in his childhood home.

Parker had moved back in after their father's passing, but he could still feel Anders Mellark as if he was there, just waiting behind the kitchen door with a batch of cheese buns ready to be taste tested. Peeta walked past the sparsely decorated Christmas tree that screamed "bachelor" and slowly scaled the staircase. He walked slowly down the hallway, pausing at his father's old bedroom he cracked open the door and found it relatively unchanged. Slowly, he slid into the room and treaded over to the closet. Sliding the door open he smelled his father's familiar cologne waft into his nose. He moved the hangers as he picked through his father's clothes and stumbled when his foot hit a box. It made a crinkling sound as though it was covered in paper. Confused, he reached down to his feet where there was a box wrapped in Christmas paper with a card attached to it with his name in his father's handwriting. His hands shook as he pulled the box out of the closet and walked over to sit on the bed. Slowly he opened the card and his father's familiar scrawl spoke to him…

_Christmas 2011_

_My Dear Peeta,_

_Merry Christmas my boy. Another year has passed and you make me prouder with each passing day. You have grown into a strong, confident man, and though I may try to take some credit for this I know it's all in your determination. Anything that you want you set your mind to it and you achieve it. I know your mother would have been proud to see you as class valedictorian in June. I know she is smiling down on us, pleased at how you have grown. Watching you blossom into this confident man this past year has been one of my greatest pleasures as your father. Watching you pine after Katniss for years (yes son, it was obvious to everyone) and to see you finally act on it, my boy I have not seen you happier. I know the plans you have for the two of you, and when you're both ready, we will be happy to officially welcome Katniss to the family. I realize you're both only 18 years old, but like you told me son, when you know you know. In the meantime, perhaps you can use this gift…with Katniss's consent this time ;)._

_Love always,_

_Dad_

Peeta trembled as he carefully tore into the forgotten Christmas gift from three years ago and chuckled when saw what it was. A professional paint set. "Dad," he laughed shaking his head, apparently all his drawings of Katniss prior to their romantic relationship hadn't gone unnoticed by the older man. It felt good, it felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. The laughter brought on by his dad's subtle snark, it felt like home and like things could be good again. Crinkling the paper into a ball, he tugged the handle of the paint set and walked across the hall from his father's room, into his old bedroom.

Everything was eerily similar to how he had left it three years ago. His sketches were still plastered to the walls, pictures of him and Katniss curled up together, ones of her bashfully turning away from the camera as he smothered her in sloppy kisses. One of the two of them in their graduation gowns with Peeta grinning like an idiot with his Valedictorian ropes strung across his neck and Katniss gazing at him like he had hung the moon, and another of their group of friends, and another of Finnick with Peeta in a headlock. He looked at the pictures and then looked at his reflection in the mirror. Rye was right, something had changed in him since his father's passing, there was something missing. The huge part that made him who he was. The person who urged him and motivated him, who in a huge part defined him. The person who's familiar scrawl was written hurriedly across an unopened envelope sitting on his dresser.

Hastily, he picked up the envelope where his name was the only thing present. Obviously it had been left here at some point and not mailed. He ripped into the letter and his eyes scanned over her words.

_Peeta,_

_I know you're struggling right now, but please don't hide from me forever. If there's anyone that can understand the pain you're experiencing right now, please know it's me. We missed so many years when I had my head in the sand, please don't make us miss anymore. I miss you so much. I miss your sturdy arms around me, I miss your laugh. I miss your sickeningly sweet nicknames that I pretend to hate but actually love. I love you Peeta. I'll always love you, even if you can't love me right now. This is real for me, and when you're ready, please come home to me._

_~Your Katniss._

He hands squeezed the paper as he read it over a second time. He flipped the piece of paper over, trying to find some way to decode when it had been written, how many years had this been laying here? Could she really forgive him for leaving like he did? Could she still possibly love him?

The last line of her letter echoed in his head "_This is real for me, and when you're ready, please come home to me"._

In that moment, he knew he had to do something.

He was ready to go home.

As Peeta trudged up the familiar walkway to the modest craftsman style home, it almost felt like something out of a fairy tale. The snow was falling lightly on Christmas Eve, becoming tangled in his long blonde lashes as his feet crunched on the uneven snowy sidewalk. Steeling himself he knocked on the dark oak door and felt an instant relief when Katniss opened the door. She looked at him quizzically as he pressed play on the ancient boom box he had dug out of his bedroom and the soft caroling of Christmas songs spilled out of the speakers.

"Katniss, who's at the door?" He heard a voice call out from inside, a male voice.

Peeta's careful print across a large poster board relayed his message

**Say It's Carolers**

Katniss cocked her head looking at him strangely, "It's carolers," she called inside.

Peeta nodded

**I'm sorry.**

**Leaving You Was My Biggest Mistake**

He shuffled his cards.

**So I Just Wanted To Say**

**Without Hope Or Agenda**

**Because It's Christmas**

**(And On Christmas You Tell The Truth)**

Katniss's mouth quirked in a smile as she watched him carefully flip through his cue cards.

**That My Wasted Heart Will Love You**

**Always.**

**You Are My Always**

He could see the shock in her eyes as he laid his heart out on the line. He couldn't expect anything back from her, he saw the ring, and he knew his place. But he had to get it out there. She needed to know. It was always.

**Merry Christmas**

Her mouth formed a perfect 'O' as he flipped to the last card and nodded. Carefully he grabbed the old boom box and began to walk back down the path from her house to the street. "It's done," he whispered to himself.

"PEETA!" The shout came from behind him. He looked up to see her and shook his head morosely. He didn't know if he could handle the pity that was probably playing on her face. The sound of light footsteps running down the sidewalk was almost silent and he was taken by complete surprise when his arm was wretched backwards, "Peeta - what – "

He held up the letter she had written him and handed it to her, "Always," he said softly and walked slowly away.

Peeta sipped his hot chocolate, allowing it to coat his throat as he stood at the counter in the bakery. He picked at the silly Christmas sweater Rye had forced him into with a big Rudolph and his bright red nose in the center of it. He had agreed to open Christmas morning for the last minute stragglers who needed their cinnamon buns or Christmas cookies. After the 7AM rush, it had been awfully quiet. He looked at his watch which read 9:30, and decided to close at 10 and head over to Parker's and have Christmas breakfast with his brothers.

He bent down to grab his phone, ready to call Rye and Parker to let them know he'd be over soon when he heard the jingle of the bells at the bakery door. His eyes shot up and his breath caught in his throat when he saw her. Her raven colored tresses hung around her face in soft waves with bits of snow glittering in her hair like diamonds. "K – Katniss?" He stuttered as she walked towards him.

She looked him straight in the eye and then got out her phone and scrolled through until she got to the right song

_The snow's comin' down  
>(Christmas)<br>I'm watchin' it fall  
>(Christmas)<br>Lots of people around  
>(Christmas)<br>Baby, please come home_

As the song played in the background she slid a napkin across the counter to him

**_Here your dreams are sweet, tomorrow brings them true_**

He bit his lip as he chanced a look up at her as she slid the next to him

**_Here is the place where I love you_**

Her eyes met his and then she nodded down to the last napkin in her hand.

**_Always_**

"Always?" Peeta questioned, taking her small hands in his own.

"God, always Peeta. It's real. No one could ever hold a candle to you," she said softly.

He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them both and ushered her over the countertop, "I'm so sorry Katniss," he apologized placing frantic kisses across her face before dropping to his knees, "I'm so sorry."

"Peeta," she whispered softly, her heart shattering at the man she loved, so obviously broken in front of her. She kneeled in front of him and cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at her, "Peeta, please. Please hear me, it will be okay. I love you. Always."

"I left you. I just left. Katniss, how can you – "

She placed her index finger against his pillowy lips, "We've had a long winter, but spring is coming. You're my spring, Peeta. You came home. It took longer than I thought, but you came home to me. You and I…Peeta you're mine and I'm yours."

"But – "

"No buts. I gave Gale back the ring. I don't know why I let him put it on. I just got so….I missed you so much. Everything about you. I'm sorry I doubted us, but you're here and I'm not letting you go again."

His blue eyes looked into her gray ones as his lips pressed against her finger that was still resting there, "I thought you weren't good at saying something," he teased lightly.

She ran her fingers through his golden blonde waves and tugged his head towards hers, "There's my snarky dandelion," she muttered pulling him in for a heated kiss.

"Is that my punishment? Being called dandelion?" he mumbled against her lips.

"Yeah – now stop talking and kiss me," she snipped, deepening the kiss. She felt his mouth open against her as he slowly guided her body to the bakery floor. She felt that familiar heat curling inside, that hunger that was unmatched with anyone else. His rough, strong baker hands kneading her skin, sending electric currents down her body. It wasn't enough, she needed more. Her hands found the hem of his sweater and she tugged on it, a whine in the back of her throat, she needed to feel his skin underneath her hands. Breaking the kiss she moaned, "Peeta."

She could feel his body react to her as she ground her hips up against him, "Kat – " he panted breathlessly, "We should – we should, not here, you deserve – "

She surged up and captured his lips again, "Here. I want you. Now."

He helped her pull the sweater over his head, leaving his blonde curls in disarray, creating almost a halo effect. Katniss couldn't help but smile as she brushed her fingers through his wayward curls. She looked up at his body, it was more toned than the last time they had been together. The sharp cut of his hips, the deep contours of his abdomen, he had become a work of art. She pushed his shoulder and used her hunter's grace to roll herself on top of him, straddling his lap. Gently her fingers traced shapes from his chest down to the downy trail of blonde hair that lead into those thigh hugging jeans. She casted her eyes up to meet his as she slid the first button through the hole.

Peeta gulped and vowed not to be the first to blink, "Katniss are you – "

She slid her hands up his torso to grip his shoulders and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "I've always wanted to have you here…in this bakery, where you gave me my first kiss. I used to come in when I was waiting you to get off for the night and watching your muscles twitch and bulge as you lifted those heavy flour sacks or when you knead the bread, and I always wondered what might happen if we were here…alone," she said slyly.

"Fuck," he muttered his head falling back on to the floor.

"That's the idea, Peeta," she teased, swirling her fingertip around his rosy nipple and then sitting up. "Time to lose these," she said eyeing him like she would her prey.

"I uh – I think you're overdressed," Peeta replied, still unable to believe this was all currently happening.

"I suppose you're right," she winked peeling her own sweater over her head….

Katniss gave a happy sigh as Peeta wrapped his arms around her spent body, "You are the best Christmas present I could ever ask for," he beamed, swiping his thumb over her sweaty brow.

She curled further into his embrace, entwining their fingers, "Peeta, you love me real or not real?"

"Real. Always."

"Always," she echoed.

**2018**

"Probably the most important day of my life," Peeta remarked flashing a wide grin around the room, "Meanwhile she was cool, calm and collected."

"Are you kidding me? You were standing there in that stupid Rudolph sweater but the way it clung to your shoulders and those damn jeans you had on when you bent over, my throat went dry. I was so glad I just stole your cue card idea because I would have been stumbling and stuttering like an idiot."

"So you go for a man in deer-wear?" Rye teased his sister-in-law.

Katniss extended her neck and pressed a kiss to Peeta's warm lips and then cocked her head to her brother-in-law, "He was incredibly sexy in his stupid reindeer sweater."

Peeta let out a loud guffaw and pulled his wife onto his lap, letting his hands wrap around her waist, "Thank you baby," he crooned, nuzzling his nose into her neck.

"All right you two, there are kids running around here," Parker groaned.

Katniss's melodic laugh filled the room as she placed her much smaller hand on top of Peeta's and moved them to her stomach, a jovial smile played across her face as she tilted her head to look into her husband's eyes, "Soon to be one more."

Peeta's eyes widened in shock, "Wh – What?"

She could see the tears glistening in Peeta's eyes and a smile so bright it almost blinded her as she angled her body to kiss him sweetly, "Merry Christmas, Daddy."


End file.
